The 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina continued on Saturday, July 8, with quarterfinals play. Four teams advanced to tomorrow's semifinal action while four teams will conclude the tournament with consolation play. Catch up on all the action ahead of the final day of 14U Champs tomorrow!

DULINS DODGERS PRIME 12, DIRTBAGS NATIONAL 14U 0

A steady stream of runs sent Dulins Dodgers Prime (3-1) to the semifinals of the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina in a 12-0 thrashing of Dirtbags National 14U (2-2).

Dulins Dodgers drew first blood; after an RBI single by Landon Schmidt, a failed pickoff allowed him to advance to third. Hadley Levi Leathers continued the two-out streak with a base knock of his own to drive home Schmidt for an unearned run. The Dodgers put up a lopsided number in the next frame, as the home team batted around the order for a nine-run explosion. The damage began after back-to-back RBI singles by Jake Usrey and Koen Isaacson plated the first pair of runs. Schmidt’s bat stayed hot as he attacked the first pitch he saw and drove in two more with a stand-up double. Carson Branch batted in a run on a ball that stayed in the infield, but a throwing error allowed the ninth and 10th runs to easily cross home plate. Jaxon Knapp capped the rally and hammered a 3-1 pitch for an RBI double to make it 11-0. The contest endedl in the third after Reed Blakely slapped a ground ball up the middle for Dulins Dodgers’ 12th run.

Schmidt powered the Dodger offense, as he recorded a 2-for-2 performance, which was highlighted by a bases-clearing double and scoring twice as well. Blakely scored twice and Knapp scored once for the Dodgers, as both players went 2-for-2 and gathered one RBI. Caleb Lynn was 1-for-1 and collected the lone hit of the day for Dirtbags National.

Dulins Dodgers Prime will face the winner of PRD and Canes National for a chance to advance to the championship game on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. on Coleman Field, while Dirtbags National 14U will play Canes National in a consolation matchup at 8:00 a.m. on Field 3. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.

ZT PROSPECTS NATIONAL 11, TOP TIER SELECT 1

Joshua Priest’s sixth-inning inside-the-park grand slam led ZT Prospects National (3-1) past Top Tier Select (2-2) in the quarterfinal round of the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina. With the win, ZT Prospects will advance to the semifinal round Sunday.

ZT scored its first run in the top of the second. The inning began with a walk issued to Jaeden Estevez, who was doubled in by Adrian Rosales. The second run came quickly after an RBI base knock by Luke Armijo to score Rosales. In the third, Carter Hadnot led off with a single through the left side. On a wild pitch, and a bunt from Coleman, Hadnot was on the corner with one out, but was stranded. In the bottom of the inning, Top Tier loaded the bases on back-to-back singles and an error, but J. Becket Berg stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout.

Top Tier scored a run in the bottom of the fifth on an error to put the leadoff man, Ross Milburn, aboard, who was then singled in by Grady Grant to cut the lead in half. In the sixth ZT fought back, putting base runners on with a hit by pitch and back-to-back walks. The hero and momentum changer was Priest, who sent a ball to the right center gap for an inside-the-park grand slam. ZT continued to tack on insurance runs scoring five more. The inning included singles from Max Lopez, Rosales, Angel Acuna, and doubles from Hadnot and Armijo.

ZT Prospects starter Berg pitched a gem, going all 6.0 innings giving up six hits, with six strikeouts, and allowing no earned runs. James Benson took the loss after giving up six earned runs on as many hits. ZT hitters Hadnot, Rosales, and Armijo each went 2-for-3 with a combined five RBIs, while Top Tier’s Grant went a perfect 2-for-2.

ZT Prospects National will face the winner of the UDACF Evolution and Stacked Baseball matchup in the semifinals of  the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina on Sunday at 8:00 a.m. on Coleman Field. Top Tier Select will play the loser of the matchup in a consolation game at 8:00 a.m. on Field 3. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.

PRD 5, CANES NATIONAL 2

Nathaniel Fuller went 2-for-3 with two base hits, a walk, and a stolen base to help lead PRD (2-2) to a 5-2 victory over Canes National (2-1-1) in the quarterfinal round of the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina.

With the win, PRD advances to the semifinal round of the tournament. 

The first run of the day came for PRD in the opening inning of play after Joshua Burkholder singled to left and scored a runner from third. Jael Castillo responded in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single of his own that tied the game for Canes National. A fielder’s choice and a Curt Friedrich single in the top of the second plated two more runs for PRD before Brodie Campbell ripped a double to right field that scored a third and established a 4-1 score. Canes National narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the second with an RBI single from Tanner Williams that made it 4-2. No more runs went on the board until the top of the sixth when Brady Guzzie drew a bases-loaded walk that extended the PRD lead to 5-2. Canes National put runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but PRD reliever Colton Floyd forced a game-ending groundout that secured the 5-2 win.

Floyd turned in an impressive performance on the mound for PRD, striking out nine batters while allowing no runs across 5.1 innings of work. Will Swisher added a double and a walk to help fuel the PRD offense. Ty Hemenway and Finn Moore each recorded doubles for Canes National.

PRD will face Dulins Dodgers Prime in the semifinals of the 14U National Team Championships on Sunday on Field 2, while Canes National will face Dirtbags National in consolation play on Field 4. First pitch for each game is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.

STACKED BASEBALL 6, UDACF EVOLUTION 5

Stacked Baseball registered eight hits on the day in a 6-5 victory over UDACF Evolution to advance to the semifinals of the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina. 

Stacked put two early runs on the board in the first inning. With two men on, Andrew Jimenez tagged up to score on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Plasman, followed by a fielding error to score Elyjiah Mason. UDACF rallied in the third to take the 3-2 lead as Jacob Carrasco sent one into deep center to pick up an RBI double, followed by back-to-back singles from Ryan Yormack and Joseph DiMeo. Stacked struck back to plate three runs in the bottom frame with an RBI single from Taytum Reeves and an RBI double from Plasman to bring the score to 5-3. A line drive to center from Carrasco would score Finnian OLoughlin to tie up the game at 5-5. Plasman finished things off as he catapulted one into right to put Stacked ahead, 6-5, and take the victory over UDACF.

Plasman had a day, going 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBIs to put Stacked ahead over USACF. Dylan Seward finished 2-for-3 with a triple and two stolen bases.

Carrasco led Evolution’s offense with a 3-for-4 day with four RBIs and a double. Nicholas Mondesando was also stout at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with three singles and two stolen bases.

Stacked Baseball will face ZT Prospects National in the semifinals of the 14U National Team Championships in North Carolina on Sunday, with first pitch set for 8:00 a.m. on Coleman Field. UDACF Evolution will play Top Tier Select at 8:00 a.m. on Field 3 in consolation play on Sunday. Both games will be streamed at USABaseball.TV, and live updates will be provided via @USABScores on Twitter.